Any other tea enthusiasts?

[yoamocuy]

So I've just started becoming a huge tea enthusiast this summer. I'm still learning a lot about tea, and definitely not ready to buy more expensive white or green teas but I've purchased a pretty decent selection of tea and have had some given to me by a friend. I've been drinking like 4 cups of tea a day for the last 2 weeks lol. So far I absolutely love the cheaper white and green teas like pai mu tan and gunpowder tea, and I don't mind some black teas but I hate the thought of using sugar with any sort of tea so black teas are a bit too bitter per say. Are there any other tea enthusiasts around here? If so what types do you prefer and have you tried mixing teas to get a unique combination/taste?

 

[PouringRain]

I drink lots of tea throughout the day. I will confess that I am not a fan of white or green teas. I like herbal and black teas best. I do not use sugar. If I use anything, it is a teaspoon of honey, but otherwise I drink them plain. In the mornings I usually drink an herbal blend that has cinnamon, dong quai, hibiscus, etc. In the evenings I like a peppermint tea. Throughout the day I drink peach-ginger, earl grey, and ginseng. In my experience, if a tea is too bitter then it is usually either over brewed or else old/stale. This is a good site: http://www.republicoftea.com/ Their tea is good, and imo priced well also. With a large enough order you also get free shipping. Their teas also last well, imo.

 

[Pard]

I am not exactly a tea enthusiast, as I cannot stand hot/warm beverages. I do fancy myself as an iced tea enthusiast and I am quick to correct people when they try to call the pre-sweetened bottled drinks "iced teas".

I cannot stand the lighter tea flavors, like green. I used to like them, but since venturing into the realm of using black tea as an iced tea base I have lost any enjoyable taste in green tea.

And sugar only ruins an iced tea, and I imagine it would only ruin a normal tea also, but I couldn't say for sure.

I usually like earl greys or the stronger Scottish cousin to the earl grey. If you can pick up the Scottish Breakfast Tea, that is a good bitter flavor.

 

[yoamocuy]

I drink lots of tea throughout the day. I will confess that I am not a fan of white or green teas. I like herbal and black teas best. I do not use sugar. If I use anything, it is a teaspoon of honey, but otherwise I drink them plain. In the mornings I usually drink an herbal blend that has cinnamon, dong quai, hibiscus, etc. In the evenings I like a peppermint tea. Throughout the day I drink peach-ginger, earl grey, and ginseng. In my experience, if a tea is too bitter then it is usually either over brewed or else old/stale. This is a good site: http://www.republicoftea.com/ Their tea is good, and imo priced well also. With a large enough order you also get free shipping. Their teas also last well, imo.

Yea, I've also noticed how much more bitter it gets if you steep it too long. The first time I made earl gray infused with cream I let it steep too long so it tasted pretty poor, but the 2nd time I made it it was pretty nice. I enjoy dark teas in the mornings but I usually don't have time in the mornings so I'd prefer to drink a tea with a more subtle taste in the afternoon with a good book. I really enjoy peppermint at night also. I just got half a pound of it and it has been amazing. Thanks for the website, I'll check it out when I'm ready to get more tea. I made my last purchases on englishteastore.com and they have fantastic prices compared to most other sites I found. All the teas I ordered off there taste wonderful also IMO.

I am not exactly a tea enthusiast, as I cannot stand hot/warm beverages. I do fancy myself as an iced tea enthusiast and I am quick to correct people when they try to call the pre-sweetened bottled drinks "iced teas".

I cannot stand the lighter tea flavors, like green. I used to like them, but since venturing into the realm of using black tea as an iced tea base I have lost any enjoyable taste in green tea.

And sugar only ruins an iced tea, and I imagine it would only ruin a normal tea also, but I couldn't say for sure.

I usually like earl greys or the stronger Scottish cousin to the earl grey. If you can pick up the Scottish Breakfast Tea, that is a good bitter flavor.

Ahh you can't venture away from the green and white teas! They have such a nice subtle sweet taste and they are sooo good for you You should try a jasmine green tea, it will change your life :P

Yea sugar definitely ruins all tea, except for maybe a nice, strong chai tea.

 

[Caroline H]

Having spent my childhood in the UK, I definitely have a strong preference in this department. In my opinion, which I know is biased, the only real tea is black tea and the only way to drink it is with a teaspoon of sugar and a dollop of milk. I drink an English brand called PG Tips, and I never like to use teabags with the little string on it. Those teabags do not infuse well at all, and they produce a weak tea. Tea is not meant to be brewed in a cup, it is meant to be brewed in a teapot

 

[Pard]

the only real tea is black tea

:yes

 

[PouringRain]

bump......... testing

 

[Isaiah28:7-8]

So I've just started becoming a huge tea enthusiast this summer. I'm still learning a lot about tea, and definitely not ready to buy more expensive white or green teas but I've purchased a pretty decent selection of tea and have had some given to me by a friend. I've been drinking like 4 cups of tea a day for the last 2 weeks lol. So far I absolutely love the cheaper white and green teas like pai mu tan and gunpowder tea, and I don't mind some black teas but I hate the thought of using sugar with any sort of tea so black teas are a bit too bitter per say. Are there any other tea enthusiasts around here? If so what types do you prefer and have you tried mixing teas to get a unique combination/taste?

I very much am a tea enthusiast, its health benefits are hard to rival and proper tea is delicious.

I tend to prefer Gunpowder Tea and Genmaicha (lit. Brown Rice Tea).

Proper tea needs no sugar or sweetener. If black tea is bitter it is due to improper tea making technique or poor quality tea. Whole leaf teas that are hand picked and hand rolled are best. If it comes in a tea bag it is not quality tea.

Even among lower quality teas bitterness can be eliminated by improving technique and choosing larger tea leaf products. The finer the particle size, the lower the quality.

An inexpensive better quality black tea is Black Pearl Tea, it is black tea leaves rolled into pellets similar to gunpowder tea and when properly brewed has no bitterness and needs no sweetener and have a beautiful taste.

White teas are also delicious but are very delicate like nectar. I tend to favor white teas a bit less as I prefer my teas mostly to impart a strong taste and I am most partial to green teas. A habit ingrained into me by my youth and long study of the martial arts. I was immersed in the culture and picked up many culinary habits including a 6 cup or more a day tea habit.

 

[Michae1]

Remember that scene in Forrest Gump where Jenny is about to get on the hippie bus back to California and Forrest says, "I think you should go home to Greenbow, ALABAMA!

Well I saw the tread about tea while I was drinking my COFFEE! :shocked!

Butt seriously...

My wife is more of a tea connoisseur than I am. She is into something called High Tea. Guess it is supposed to be from England, I think.

I usually only have a cup in the evening. My favorite right now is the Bavarian Wild Berry or Vanilla Caramel Truffle from Lipton in the flow through triangle thingys.

Of course I always have some Earl Grey in the cupboard. Twinning's brand. Also I am sure I am not the only one to get hooked on Earl Grey because of watching Star Trek:The Next Generation. Yes I am a Geek.

The history of Earl Grey is quite a good read. I recommend it if you have time to Wiki. I wish I could find a source for Oil of Bergamot and some Chicory.

 

[pjt]

I enjoy tea. Some of the teas I enjoy maybe others don`t know? I`m not sure, but I like goya tea. The goya vegetable is bitter to taste but the tea is not. It has a unique flavor. I drink a cup most every day. I do enjoy green tea and I love macha or any powered tea. I like barley tea cold. I like genmai tea. I love jasmine tea hot or cold. Jasmine tea has a lovely smell. I love chai. Peppermint tea is refreshing. If I drink a black tea, I want heavy cream and sugar. I find all berry teas to be lovely especially blackberry and strawberry. Rooibos tea is nice too! Earl Grey is always a good choice.

Teas that I don`t like are lemon, seaweed, ukon, and pickled plum tea. These are sour or salty teas. I don`t care for sour or salty for a tea.

My favorite brand of tea is Tazo. They make an excellent blend of tea. Absolutely delicious!

 

[pjt]

One more thought, if you drink green tea, don`t buy the cheap stuff. I was in America and saw how cheap the green tea was, I bought it, and then I understood why it was so cheap when I tasted it. I had to throw the stuff away. It was way too bitter. A nice green tea is subtle and pleasant, not acidic or overly bitter.

 

[PouringRain]

My favorite brand of tea is Tazo. They make an excellent blend of tea. Absolutely delicious!

Where do you live now, pjt? I was asking because you said "when I lived in America..." The other reason I asked is because I find it ironic that you like Tazo tea and I absolutely don't-- because Tazo tea where I live is horribly bitter and undrinkable. I'm certain that freshness has something to do with it, and it would not surprise me at all if our stores here carry old-Tazo teas.

One of my favorite brand of teas is in the site I linked above. A good off the shelf tea that I like is the Celestial Seasonings brand. (It is a "cheap" tea in cost, but I have never had a bad cup of tea from them in all the varieties I have tried. Their peppermint is wonderful!) Tea | Celestial Seasonings Herbal Tea & Special Tea Products

 

[pjt]

Where do you live now, pjt? I was asking because you said "when I lived in America..." The other reason I asked is because I find it ironic that you like Tazo tea and I absolutely don't-- because Tazo tea where I live is horribly bitter and undrinkable. I'm certain that freshness has something to do with it, and it would not surprise me at all if our stores here carry old-Tazo teas.

One of my favorite brand of teas is in the site I linked above. A good off the shelf tea that I like is the Celestial Seasonings brand. (It is a "cheap" tea in cost, but I have never had a bad cup of tea from them in all the varieties I have tried. Their peppermint is wonderful!) Tea | Celestial Seasonings Herbal Tea & Special Tea Products

I live in Asia.
Definitely any tea that is not fresh can become bitter or stale. Tea must be fresh!!! Actually I can only get Tazo tea occassionally because no one near me sales it so I have to special order it, but I guess I just get lucky with a fresh box each time I order. On the other hand, our tastes may just differ!!! Or it could be we are buying different types of tea so they have better blends and quality in one area than the other. For example, I don`t touch their green or herbal teas because I can get those here. I buy their black teas and generally buy their chai which is nice, rich, and spicy.
As for tea drinking, the joy of tea is it is more than just about flavor, it is about the experience. Sometimes I want a nice aroma from a tea, other times I want a soothing relaxing tea, other times sometimes warm or invigorating, etc. Tea is like clothes, you can switch around based on the occassion and mood. Tea drinking is more than a refreshment, it is a pleasant experience!!!

 

[PouringRain]

I agree that our tastes do differ. I'm sure your tea is probably more fresh also, since you order it. By the time I purchase mine off a store shelf it's been sitting a while.... especially out where I live.